Short skirt cycling-have you/would you?

[OakLeaf]

What's the difference, fashion-wise, between riding in a "street" skirt vs. riding in a skort or over-skirt that's designed for cycling? I don't see the objection.

The last time I looked good in very short skirts I was 14 years old and anorexic. So besides cycling skorts, the only skirts/dresses I wear (ever, not just on the bike) are just below to just at the knee.

When I commuted, I always wore a dress. I had a diamond-frame bike, so it was loose and flowing skirts.

Nowadays I'll wear a dress or skirt to church or out to dinner on my step-through commuter - two miles max (each way) at a gentle pace.

[GLC1968]

When my commute was shorter (1.5 miles!), I biked in skirts all the time. I sometimes did this on my diamond frame, sometimes on my mixte. Wind was often an issue if my skirt was knee length & flowy (like most of my skirts), so I got smart and learned to carry a clothespin with me. I would pin the front of my skirt around my top tube or to my downtube water bottle cage (on the mixte) so that it couldn't fly up. Worked like a charm!

I have never biked in a real (non biking skort) miniskirt, but I'm also too old to be wearing them anyway.

[shootingstar]

What's the difference, fashion-wise, between riding in a "street" skirt vs. riding in a skort or over-skirt that's designed for cycling? I don't see the objection.

The last time I looked good in very short skirts I was 14 years old and anorexic. So besides cycling skorts, the only skirts/dresses I wear (ever, not just on the bike) are just below to just at the knee.

Beauty and vision of "youth" is in the eye of the beholder, ain't it, Oak and GLC? Alot of skorts are short..at least 6 inches above the knee. I like my black little lycra but in some social circles for those over 50, it's probably seen as not entirely tasteful as normal streetwear.

I recall I once forgot my dress pants at home when I cycled to work (or part of that way with transit). So I had not choice for the whole work day, but to wear my cycling jersey and short walking shorts which doubled as my cycling shorts. Shorts had a 3.5" in-seam (or 9" above my kneecap). Shorts were not tight just fitted in slightly relaxed manner. I wear my jerseys slightly loose, never tight against my body.

The other woman who worked for me, same age as myself, disapproved of my wear.

This was in an office located at a construction site. So though that day I met with several managers (all male), it was an atmosphere of neat "casual", at most, business casual since we weren't labourers. I suppose I was not dressed properly as one of the few female managers on staff. But I genuinely had no choice. Home was 45+ kms. away..too far to waste time..to fetch a dress pant/skirt. And I didn't have a car.

Clothes pin tip GLC, certainly would work with a long flowing skirt and for a riding style where one remained seated when mounting hills (which is my style) and if one didn't have to stop and restart at traffic intersections too often (I am not seated on saddle when I stop at an intersection, I push back up onto saddle.)

[uforgot]

I also like skirts in the summer. Like Zen says, they hide so many flaws. When I ride to school in a skirt, I have on cycling shorts underneath and ride my mixte so the skirt has a place to go.

[badger]

I used to ride in my short skirt over shorts all the time. The last time was a couple of years ago when I wore my summer dress to work and the back of the skirt kept getting caught on the front part of the seat and it was just a bit too distracting so I haven't ridden with a skirt since.

But I would totally wear one if it was short and stretchy, I just don't have one right now.

[Crankin]

The last time I wore a regular dress to ride in was in 1978. I used to commute all of 1.5 miles to summer school classes at ASU in sundresses that fell maybe just below the knee. I *think* my 5 speed bike probably was a diamond frame. I know I couldn't do it now. Of course, I also was not wearing a helmet, had a very un-ergonomically correct backpack, and was wearing sandals. Oh, and I am sure it was like, 112 degrees out.
I couldn't even ride to the train station without liner shorts under my pants last fall. It just didn't feel right! I also tried riding in regular shoes, which almost resulted in me crashing in the middle of a busy intersection, because I couldn't push off without having one foot clipped in. Both my feet flew off of the pedals and I had to stop and start again, in a long line of traffic, waiting to turn left.
This is why I have a bunch of non-lycra looking cycling clothes for doing errands, etc... skorts, baggy shorts, loose capris. They look acceptable for going to stores or for appointments.
If someone wants to ride in a dress or skirt, more power to them. I was amazed at the women in Italy riding in heels. And, btw, I am sitting here in a short jean skirt that I look perfectly fine in. I wouldn't wear it to work, but if someone is going to hate me because I am in my 50s and wear mini skirts for casual wear, so be it.

[GLC1968]

I wouldn't wear it to work, but if someone is going to hate me because I am in my 50s and wear mini skirts for casual wear, so be it.

Ah, don't get me wrong - if my legs were better, I'd probably still wear mini-ish skirts for casual wear myself. I just wouldn't wear them to work. Bear in mind, I wouldn't have worn them to work when I was in my early 20's either - just not my style.

And shootingstar - the clothespin thing worked even when I would stop at lights. I did it loose enough that no one would even know it was there, so that left me plenty of 'give' to move around and get off the saddle as necessary. Of course, a couple of times I forgot it was there and went to get off the bike only to fling the little clothespin a few feet from me. Luckily, no one ever got a little wood projectile in the eye!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I just wear what I like.

[PamNY]

I just wear what I like.

Well, you're no fun. How can you create a two-page discussion out of that?

Pam

PS I wear what I like, too.

[SlowButSteady]

I wear skirts alot more now than I used to.

I like tennis, running and golf skorts for around the house, around the pool and even for cycling. I'll even wear a sports bra top and a skort as a bathing suit.

I like the golf length ones best as they are a bit longer.

I don't own a cycling-specific skort, as I figured the padding would be cumbersome for non-cycling activites and I can ride comfortably enough without a chamois.

[badger]

somewhat inspired by this thread, I decided to wear my summer beach dress and commuted to work on my bike. No snags and it was nice a breezy, I'm going to do this more often!!

[Zen]

I also think you get some extra clearance from cars when wearing a skirt or something similar.

[cattygrrl]

Skirts are more comfy than pants most of the time.

Shoot, my guy even wears a kilt (most often one of these) when he's tooling around on his city bike...

[shootingstar]

Skirts are more comfy than pants most of the time.

Shoot, my guy even wears a kilt (most often one of these) when he's tooling around on his city bike...

If it works for him.. Actually there's a local company that offers to clean eavestrough /window-washing...all the guys in company advertise themselves as wearing kilts like your BF.

[sundial]

I also think you get some extra clearance from cars when wearing a skirt or something similar.

Had a guy in a tractor pull way off the road for me as I rode by in my flowerdy skort.